Volles Rohr
by Neal Stephenson
published
1990
(first published 1992)
by Goldmann Wilhelm GmbH
edit
binding
Broschiert, 318 pages
isbn
3442098114
(isbn13: 9783442098118)
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avg 3.65
Read in July, 2008
This early novel from Neal Stephenson claims in its subtitle to be an "eco-thriller," and readers are right to approach it with a bit of scepticism. First published in 1988, the plot and the narrator's attitudes exemplify an attitude toward environmentalism that seems out of date--the Greenpeace activism of interfering with individual oil tankers rather than the more global perspective most of us share since global warming has been an accepted truth.
These attitudes and ideas, howe...more
These attitudes and ideas, howe...more
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Read in September, 2001
recommends it for:
fans of cyberpunk, green party kids, hippies, activists, corporate whores
I read this book because I had liked Cryptonomicon and the synopsis sounded cool.
While I didn't like this book nearly as much as Cryptonomicon, I did like it quite a bit. Like any great cyberpunk story this book pits a determined outcast against corporate power structures. Except that this book is a contemporary story that could actually happen and doesn't rely on any fantastical science fiction.
The main character Sangamon Taylor is a guerrilla Ralph Nader, similar even down to they're...more
While I didn't like this book nearly as much as Cryptonomicon, I did like it quite a bit. Like any great cyberpunk story this book pits a determined outcast against corporate power structures. Except that this book is a contemporary story that could actually happen and doesn't rely on any fantastical science fiction.
The main character Sangamon Taylor is a guerrilla Ralph Nader, similar even down to they're...more
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Read in August, 2008
An eco-warrior tries to keep Boston safe from corporate polluters in his zodiac speedboat. Neal Stephenson's storytelling does not make as much use of random tangents and diversions as he did in Cryptonomicon or the Baroque Cycle (what I've read of it) -- and I liked the tangents in those books, for the most part, although I'm sure other readers would view them only as a burden...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Neal Stephenson Fans, Planeteers
Neal does it again. I really wasn't too sure how interesting this book would be to me as it is about an environmentalist who gets caught up in a cover-up by a company who will stop at nothing to cover it's tracks when it releases a PCB creating, genetically engineered bacterium into Boston Harbor. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this book was written.
I felt that this book was much better than Cobweb, as the story kept a steady pace. It managed to keep my interest all the way through. ...more
I felt that this book was much better than Cobweb, as the story kept a steady pace. It managed to keep my interest all the way through. ...more
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Read in July, 2008
The world had lowered my expectations of Stephenson's second book such that I was more than mildly surprised at how not awful it was. Sure, there were several rough spots (seriously- the Granola James Bond?), but the pace and content were invigorating.
As this is his only story set in the present that I've read, I was constantly thinking- "I could do this!" (especially since it's set in Boston). And while I think the phrase granola James Bond is lame, S.T. does make chemistry so...more
As this is his only story set in the present that I've read, I was constantly thinking- "I could do this!" (especially since it's set in Boston). And while I think the phrase granola James Bond is lame, S.T. does make chemistry so...more
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Read in April, 2008
I tried to get Neal Stephenson to come to Bumbershoot last year; he wasn't available or something. But I had this book on my shelf and wanted to read something escapist. Since it's a story about a very realist toxic waste emergency, I didn't quite achieve that, but enjoyed it nonetheless: for its quick pace, its unlikable narrator, its story of the underdog monkey-wrench activist toppling a corporate criminal.... although shortly after I finished the book, a court reduced Exxon's responsibili...more
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Read in January, 2000
This book is light, fun, smart, and everything else you expect from a Neal Stephenson book. Admittedly, upon rereading it, it makes FAR more sense after you've taken a little genetics and organic chemistry, but I don't remember being confused the first time I read it either. That's something Stephenson does really well: he writes intellectual stuff so that you feel smarter, not dumber while reading.
The main character, S.T., is a ton of fun to hang out with. The story bounces along, the char...more
The main character, S.T., is a ton of fun to hang out with. The story bounces along, the char...more
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This book made me happy - a fast-paced snarky enviro-punk thriller that is rich in bohemian geekiness (to wit, a lesson in organic chemistry illustrated using six-packs of beer, a detailed and hilarious discussion of how to navigate the mean streets of Boston at the peak of rush hour on bike, characters who are smart enough to start their own microsofts but would rather dive through toxic raw sewage in the middle of the night to plug the drainage pipes of large polluting corporations with reinfo...more
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Read in February, 2008
I'm not a huge fan of Neal Stephenson; I adored Cryptonomicon (I have a thing for math nerds) and hated Snow Crash. Zodiac doesn't have the math charms of Cryptonomicon, but it has something better, envioronmentalism! It's self-described as an environmental thriller, and I think that's pretty accurate. It's silly and serious, and you end up caring about the characters. A lot of the time, I had no idea what was going on, and occasionally, I thought what were really beautiful moments in the bo...more
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Read in May, 2008
Sangamon Taylor is gunning for the companies who dump toxic waste into water supplies. His big (non violent) hit is against a company dumping PCBs into Boston Harbor, he's collecting samples, analysing them and pinning the evidence on the executives with a big target for the media to hit.
My only quibble is that the serious injuries in the book aren't sold emotionally - his organisation is focused on non violent actions, but the enemy has no such compunctions. He repeatedly refers to himself a...more
My only quibble is that the serious injuries in the book aren't sold emotionally - his organisation is focused on non violent actions, but the enemy has no such compunctions. He repeatedly refers to himself a...more
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Read in October, 2007
This is definitely the least complex Stephenson I've ever read. It's one of his earlier ones (1988 for this one, I think) and he follows one storyline with a few supporting characters. The narrator is a self-admitted asshole who happens to be an environmentalist trying to bring down the companies that are dumping toxic sludge into Boston Harbor. Excellent details about Boston--it was weird to think of a bar and pool hall in the Arsenal Mall in Watertown--and once it gets going it moves fairly we...more
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Read in April, 2008
A book that could almost be about my brother, if I had a brother and if ST killed people in the name of the environment. The first half of the book was my favorite, mostly because it was more light-hearted. The death-defying mission to save Boston Harbor got a little old for me, but that's because the "seat of the pants, will our main character live?" sort of thriller has lost it's spark for me. I mean, really, if they died once in a while, then it might be less predictable. Still ...more
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Read in July, 2008
I will never look at a harbor the same again. This book, although found in the science fiction section, is really a fantastic "eco-thriller". Stephenson is a great author and does a great job of highlighting the eco warrior vs. corporate america. Sangamon Taylor is a great lead character and a bit of an anti-hero. I loved the porposeful drug use through out the story, nitrous to relax, speed to get amped up for a mission, and acid to stay awake. A great book for all adults, but be...more
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Read in December, 2007
A slip of the finger erased my first review - can't be bothered to recreate word for word!
If you like Stephenson this is not quite his juvenilia, but nor quite his best. A genre thriller in a way, with the usual convoluted plot and big explosion at the end but the science of toxic industrial pollution that underpins it is fascinating and regrettably still relevant. The narrator has a smart-aleck/nerd update on the classic "hard-boiled" tone that sometimes wears thin.
If you like Stephenson this is not quite his juvenilia, but nor quite his best. A genre thriller in a way, with the usual convoluted plot and big explosion at the end but the science of toxic industrial pollution that underpins it is fascinating and regrettably still relevant. The narrator has a smart-aleck/nerd update on the classic "hard-boiled" tone that sometimes wears thin.
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Read in January, 2003
An early variant of Stephenson's 'Snow Crash' writing style. More down-to-earth plot, set in the present rather than the near-future, but just as much fun. It definitely feels rougher and less polished than either Snow Crash or The Diamond Age, but it's great fun. And the description of trying to cross the street in Boston is worth the purchase price.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
people who've already read Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle
This is much less dense than the other Stephenson I've read, which is to say The Baroque Cycle, Cryptonomicon, and Snow Crash. There is one brilliant set-piece where you know you're reading Stephenson, but otherwise it just isn't up to his standard. It is a quick read, and fun, and if you love Neal Stephenson, there's no reason not to read it. If you haven't read Stephenson, this probably isn't the one that's going to give you the bug.
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This is one of the books which I have read enough times to have practically memorized. When I need something to read on the train, but don't want to take a bag or something bulky with me, this is one of the books I grab. It is a good, slightly-junky eco-thriller. Plus, it is set in Boston, and written by someone who knows Boston well. Nothing like having been to places referenced in a book you're reading!
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Read in September, 2006
A great story about ecoterrorism. This is Stephenson's most conventional book, in that the main character stays the main character throughout, and the Big Bad he fights remains the villain throughout. The presence of consistancy was a nice change from his more frenetic works, and gave the reader a chance to really get to know the main character. And I'm glad I did--he's fun, unique, and really passionate.
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Read in August, 2007
Great fun and a quick, easy read.
Maybe not a classic like Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon but certainly worth reading.
I'm living in Boston right now and since reading this book, I'm affraid to touch the Charles, the harbor, eat seafood, drink tapwater, or even breathe too deeply. Of course I'll probably end up as roadkill under some SUV while riding my bike long before I have time to develop cancer...
Maybe not a classic like Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon but certainly worth reading.
I'm living in Boston right now and since reading this book, I'm affraid to touch the Charles, the harbor, eat seafood, drink tapwater, or even breathe too deeply. Of course I'll probably end up as roadkill under some SUV while riding my bike long before I have time to develop cancer...
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um, ok...i didn't know "eco-thriller" was a genre. I started reading this reluctantly, but quickly became wrapped up the protagonist's embarrassing but adventurous soap-drama. He is the "granola james bond", a toxic fighting super hero who drinks beer and inhales garbage bags full of nitris and is a total dude-dude. it is even a love story, in a dude sort of way. this book is retarded. but awesome!
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